9th Wonder - Zion III

9th Wonder
Zion III
2018
Spotify

When you are regarded as one of the absolute best of all time it gives you some freedom on what you can do. 9th Wonder's status as a legendary hip hop producer is not even a question. He has been behind some of the most beautiful things that have come from hip hop and his musical aesthetic still permeates the genre today. A blend of boom bap and soul at some point 9th Wonder transcended needing to actually have rappers on his beats, we only find two features on this entire 42 track tape. Swank and King Daft only appear on five tracks including "To Jersey" and "Whole Life". Even there the beats are still in the drivers seat, 9th Wonder even includes this little vocal break as his voice throughout the two tracks. It's not often that beats straight blow the rapper using them away, but when 9th Wonder is involved it's almost assumed. This massive tape is somewhat daunting at almost an hour and a half, but because the songs are quick it doesn't feel as long as it is. This record has a slickness to it that isn't unheard of in this space, but is something that 9th Wonder does better than almost anyone. When He uses all beats they sound new and alive. You don't get that typical vinyl fuzz from 9th Wonder and instead the songs sound rich and warm all on their own. When you listen to his music it does not seem like a collection of songs waiting to be picked up by a rapper, they feel like their own unique and wonderful experience.

Even the way 9th Wonder titles his songs feels steeped in hip hop. "JustUsSoul!!!!!" only mentions the words "just us" throughout the song, but you can feel the influx of soul so vividly that the name fits all the better as the track progresses. "KillerFunk!!!!" feels like 9th Wonder trying to get into the electronic music game a bit but it still feels entirely like his music. It's wonderful to listen to an album that has a real aesthetic and a vibe that it curates through the whole thing. The music fits so many places like a sunny afternoon or a drive through the streets late night, His music is incredibly expressive, but the lack of lyrics allows you to put yourself into the song. The songs with lyrics actually feel like they have a personality all their own separate from this record, giving Zion III so many incredible dimensions. Count on 9th Wonder to come in at the last second of 2018 and put out one of the best beat tapes of the year. Don't sleep on this one.

8.7 out of 10